Thursday, 26 March 2015

I really didn’t like him as a player. I couldn’t abide him, even when he played for
England. It was never open dislike, it
was begrudging, even deferential acknowledgement that my mighty Villa did not
possess anyone with the passion, skill and determination as he did throughout a
highly successful career. Yes, I openly
admit it: I used to hate Gary Neville.

However, now he is a pundit and a columnist in the Telegraph
(other Saturday sports pages are available, but “why” I don’t know) I have to
confess I have an enormous amount of respect for him and his opinion. I enjoy watching him as a pundit who doesn’t
spare any punches – including in the direction of his beloved united. Moreover, I love reading his take on the
modern game, and his interpretation of how the game is developing.

Recently, he has had much to say on the creation and
sustenance of teams; what occurs when teams go through a massive change
process, and how they re-attain their previous dizzy heights. He manages to couple business phraseology
(such as the old form – storm – norm – perform soundbite) with his encyclopaedic
knowledge of the game and his own brand of northern philosophy. Within these pieces, he has made some points
that have really set me to thinking, because this is something that has been in
the forefront of my mind for some time.

When I get asked, which I regularly do (because headteachers
have very limited conversation skills) how things are going, I often give a
trite or blasé answer (because I have even more limited conversational skills). When asked this at the excellent PHAB
conference last week (more of this later) I gave an answer very off the cuff
but very earnest. Gary Neville-esque you
might say. I said, waiting interminably
for coffee “It is just about the best team I have put together so far.”

I realised that this thought had been crystallizing in the
crazy landscape of my mind for some time.

Since January, I have been struck time and again by the ways in which a
team forms and starts to take shape, and the habits and actions that occur when
that team is starting to perform to the very best of its collective abilities.

Work teams are little different from sports teams in
essence. True enough, there are no
shorts to worry about, and schools, by and large, don’t have a Portuguese
physio ready to run on when someone hurts their interactive whiteboard dragging
finger. However, teams in all
disciplines exhibit fairly similar traits, with subject specific nuances, in
all walks of team life.

Successful teams, and their members, work well together
without knowing it. They come to each
other’s aid without a request, and they complement one another’s skills and
talents without worrying about its weaknesses.
Successful teams achieve great outcomes without asking “Who did that?” but by celebrating shared
successes and saying quietly, almost in awe of itself, “We did that”.

When I have reflected on this, stuck in a traffic Jam on my
way back from #phab15 (yes, I’m getting there) I realised that our school has
been full of these signs for some time now.
Even more than this, I felt more proud of the fact that I can’t really
take credit for it, but it is the collective will of the core of this team that
must take the plaudits.

I reflected on a number of key incidents, which may, taken
in isolation, not mean too much.

However, look at them as a collective, as a series of events, actions
and habits that take place on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

I reflected on how, when a vulnerable child had a real
moment recently, I was called to assist only to find 3 people already there,
dealing with it with far greater skills and aplomb than I ever could. Within a short space of time, a child who was
swearing and spitting was sitting on the sofa reading a book to his teacher.

I reflected on how people came forward to volunteer to be guinea
pigs for our new assessment system, thus putting their hand up for MORE
work. Furthermore, how some of my
youngest team members are coming to ask would I mind terribly if they did a
staff meeting.

Last night in a staff meeting with most of the governors
present, we had what to all intents and purposes was a contentious debate. However, no-one left feeling disgruntled or
offended. Everyone left thinking “Okay,
how do we improve on that then?”

During twilight training sessions recently, a whole gang of
the team order take away, which they then shared, including with the trainers
who said “Really? You got pizza? Really?”

I thought about how I no longer need to set or impose the
standard we have agreed on without discussing it; instead, two members of staff
have told a new addition “He won’t stand for it you know, you need to put the
effort in”. Needless to say said person
has put some hours in this week. A lot.

Probably the most telling was how the entire team is worried
– deliberate choice of word – about the team’s success, and keen to share, not
take, any forthcoming plaudits. We had a
big visit today.

After I shook hands and
waved the visitor off, who was waiting for me?
Our NQT, the least experienced member of our team, who tried to gauge my
feelings and the outcomes by trying to work out if it was thumbs up or
down. (It was a big thumbs up.)

It was the same in the staffroom, where everyone – from our
oldest teachers to our youngest LSAs and some teacher training students - wanted
to know. “Are you in a good mood or should
we avoid you completely?” one asked, the one who takes my phone every Friday to
fill in our twitter record of praise assemblies. Everyone in the room smiled; they already
knew the answer, but wanted to give me an entrée to make the announcement.

Last week, when my deputy and I were at PHAB 15, a truly
exciting and inspirational conference, and the first time we had left the baby
with sitters, what reassured us the most was the unfailing willingness of the
whole team to support the leaders-for-the-day, and do jobs and roles above and
beyond the call in every sense imaginable.

Good teams also know when a member needs to be alone. Several of our team – yours truly included - enjoy
a headphone moment. No-one takes umbrage
at this, but we all appreciate that some of the members of the team need to
return to the solace of their caves from time to time.

There are negative indicators however, but you have to take
them as a kind of compliment. You know
you have a good team growing when you have someone who arrives and tries to
take on the team – sometimes subconsciously – by challenging the team without any
personal credibility, by putting themselves above the needs of the team. Everyone, even the leaders, need to acknowledge
that they play their part, not spurn their chance to do so.

The next level of building any team is the outcome;
successful teams are magnetic, and the draw and attract more and more positive
energy. As a result, we have a growing
army of volunteers with the amazing Buddies of Badock’s, a staff team that is
as big as it has ever been, former colleagues attempting to return to the fold,
and a school that continues to grow and grow.
The result is infectious. And
addictive.

So when we get big calls from big visits on big days like
today, it is only right that the team takes the collective glory. Every member of the team today deserves more
than their fair quotient of glory in which to bask over the break, and I hope
they love it. Because in term 5 and 6,
this team could achieve more than it ever has before.

That is … nearly all.

I just wanted to mention my last blog (http://badockshead.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/two-wrongs-dont-make-fat-bloke-write.html). Many people have taken the time to ask me “Are
you okay?” as a result of my last set of emumbling. I am so sorry if it sounded negative or
self-pitying, that was never my intention. My mum and dad always told me to say
please and thank you, so:

Please don’t worry
about me, I am having the time of my life with this team

About Me

I am from Birmingham and married to Sue. We have two drains on our disposable income, called Ruben and Thea, who regret to inform us that they intend to resent our existence for the next 15 years or so, give or take. We live in Yatton, where we have lots of friends, and where we have a million barbeques a year. I play badminton, but try not to run or win, and support the greatest team in the universe - Aston Villa FC, as well as loving a bit of rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, ...